An Austen Chronology

Jane Austen born at village of Steventon, England, to George and Cassandra Austen.

1785-1787

With her sister, Cassandra, Austen attends the Abbey School in Reading, England.

1790-93

Writes her juvenilia.

1795-98

Writes original versions of Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice.

1797

"First Impressions" (original version of Pride and Prejudice) rejected by a London publisher.

1801

Father retires and moves to Bath with his wife and daughters.

1803

Susan (original version of Northanger Abbey) is bought by a publisher but never issued.

1804

Austen begins, and quickly abandons, "The Watsons."

1805

Death of father, George.

1808

Moves to Southampton with mother and sister.

1809-17

Lives with her mother and sister in a small house provided by her wealthy brother Edward in the village of Chawton, in southern England. Begins revising original versions of Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice.

1811

Sense and Sensibility published.

1813

Pride and Prejudice published.

1814

Mansfield Park published. Austen begins work on Emma.

1816

Emma is published and is dedicated to the Prince Regent (future George IV) at his request. Austen completes Persuasion.

1817

Composes the fragment "Sanditon"; abandons it because of incapacitating illness. Austen is moved to Winchester for medical care in May and dies there on 18 July. Buried in Winchester Cathedral on 24 July.

1818

Northanger Abbey and Persuasion published jointly in a four-volume edition, with a biographical preface of Austen by her brother Henry.

This extract is taken from John Lauber, Jane Austen [New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993]